Do Real Madrid really need a third striker

Posted Saturday, August 06, 2011 by Bettor

Battling for top honours while in constant battles against the best side in the world is a titanic task, one in which Jose Mourinho and his squad find themselves deeply embroiled in. The Portuguese tactician was brought to the Spanish Capital in a bid to dethrone Barcelona from the top of world football and the only success they can boast of is the Copa del Rey.

Mourinho has been asking for a striker since his arrival, but does he really need one at the moment?

Real Madrid have splashed the cash yet again in the transfer market, with an outlay of around 50 million Euros. They have brought in Fabio Coentrao to reinforce the squad on the left side of the field, while Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop will cater to the needs in the centre of the midfield. 18-year-old defender Raphael Varane has been brought in to add depth in the backline, while Jose Callejon would play on the right flank of Mourinho’s favoured 4–3-3 formation.

At the moment, the current squad has two specialized strikers to lead the lines: Argentine Gonzalo Higuain and Frenchman Karim Benzema. The two aforementioned stars have been embroiled in problems of their own. With Higuain failing to stay fit for majority of the season, his French teammate goes on missing when he is required the most. Thanks to the goalscoring exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid were able to challenge their Catalan rivals for silverware but that is no permanent fix.

The Portuguese superstar can also lead the lines, but this leaves Los Blancos crippled in other areas. Thus, Mourinho has called for reinforcements to the roster as he builds a squad to challenge for trophies in the coming years. In January, Emmanuel Adebayor was brought in on loan from Manchester City to add depth to the attacking line up. The Togolese striker was a hit-and-miss with the Madridista as he scored 5 goals in 14 appearances. Calls to add the towering attacker have been made and Real Madrid backroom is arranging for a transfer.

Jose Callejon has been repurchased to add to the team’s cause and has proved that he can fulfil the job with glowing references from the preseason. The 24-year-old has been turning in performance after performance, justifying his selection in the starting eleven.

Alongside Callejon, Mourinho can also deploy Alvaro Morata to lead the lines. The youngster has been a part of the preseason and has been on the score sheet for Los Vikingos. It is time that Real Madrid give their youth a chance to shine at Santiago Bernabéu, rather than continuing the Galacticos rulings.

However, in Mourinho’s defence, he cannot rely on untested quantities and needs a talented and experienced squad if he has any chance to exact his revenge on the best football team in decades. Callejon and Morata are the future, but the Portuguese wants a reliable player at the moment.

Real Madrid find themselves in a big dilemma about their activities in the future. They can bring in the players they want but have to sacrifice their Cantera products. It is an ultimate standoff where everything hangs in balance. Real have spent hundreds of millions and when they are close to achieving their target they cannot stop midway; pinning all hopes on inexperienced personnel. If Los Blancos really wish to end the season with trophies to show for efforts, they need another striker in their midst.